Mighty 'Clay'

Acme Brick is celebrating its 116th year with a surprise. In fact the surprise weighs 2,722 kg. It is 'Baby Clay' -- the world's largest brick. This 'Baby' is 116 inches long -- one inch for every year that Acme has been in business. This giant brick, which will compete for an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, is 39 inches tall and 39 inches wide.

The brick was made with clay from each of Acme's 23 brick plants and took 13 months to be completed. » Continue reading

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Have a Mostly Sunny Day!

A radio alarm clock may be fine for many of us, but not for Douglas Le Comte, a meteorologist and Weatherwise magazine contributor. He uses the Wireless Forecast Station. It can wake you up, display a 24-hour forecast, show barometric pressure and its trend, and give you a wireless temperature reading from another location, like the garage. » Continue reading

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Stealth Shopping on the Web

Protecting your privacy is harder when shopping online because you're asked to fork over sensitive data. Here's what Jay Foley at the Identity Theft Resource Centre suggests to minimize exposure:

Change your identity. Create a new email address exclusively for online stores that require one. This dummy address will wind up receiving future junk emails. Then each week, trash all the spam from your "shopping" address.

Look for the lock. Before filling out any on-screen form asking for credit card data, verify that you're at a secure Web page. The URL in the field at the top of your screen should begin with "https://" and look for a locked padlock icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Send spies packing. If you download free software, "spyware" may have been secretly attached by a third party to monitor your surfing habits. Spychecker.com offers free software that detects and removes spyware from your hard drive. » Continue reading

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How not to look like a Tourist

Afraid of being singled out as a mark, a nerd (or maybe just an out-of-towner) in a foreign place?

1. Don't block pavement traffic folding and unfolding maps.
   
2. Keep your jaw shut as you admire those jaw-dropping buildings locals pass without a glance.
   
3. Multi-pocketed urban pants may be practical, but overstuffed they make you look like a blimp on tour.
   
4. Remember: Shouting doesn't make English easier to understand.
   
5. Don't parade your hometown T-shirt or cap.
   
6. Why would anyone even wear something called a bumbag?
   
7. Enjoy yourself. Most people like tourists.

» Continue reading

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Make light work to decorate your home

When decorating your home, consider these illuminating tips on creative lighting, from lamp-magnate Christopher Wray:

• Use lighting to define an area -- table and floor lamps can mark zones in a large room where, for instance, one end is for eating and the other for dining.
  
• Place several floor lamps that beam light upwards to guid the eye along a particular route, or set them behind a plant or sofa to create a soft glow.
  
• With floor-standing (pedestal) lamps, fitting sockets in the floor will reduce the length of flex wire.
  
• If you fancy a chandelier, remember it was origially meant to hold candles, so use very low-watt light bulbs.
  
• Fit dimmer switches to everything -- varying light levels will help set the mood for each part of the day.

» Continue reading

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Women swoon for hi-tech woo

Men looking to further their romance with flowers may want to think tech instead. A small Amazon.co.uk study at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, measured women's reactions to gifts: They showed most arousal when imagining getting electronic gadgets. In addition, a study of 1000 people found six in ten women said their love lives suffered if they had no mobile phone or hand-held computer with them. » Continue reading

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How to get upgraded on a flight?

It's always nice to get something for nothing. When it's an upgrade to business or first class air travel, you can do your bit to help it happen, advises Keith Burton of the Association of British Travel Agents:

Join a frequent flyer program. Airlines only upgrade because they have to (they over-book, calculating that some people won't turn up). They will always choose their most valued customers first.

Ask if the flight is full when you check in. Say that if they're looking to upgrade, you'd like to be considered. Don't be pushy.

Dress smartly. The airline won't want to upset (fare-paying) first lass passengers by seating them next to a scruffy backpacker.

Travel alone. You'll be easier to seat than a couple or group.

Don't be first at the gate. Staff won't want to hold up the queue and won't know yet which seats are free. » Continue reading

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